TWO INSTRUCTORS of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters were among the winners feted during the 72nd Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards on Nov. 22.
Department of Creative Writing instructor Joel Toledo bagged the first prize in the poetry category with his poetry collection Silángan.
Department of Filipino instructor Mark Anthony Angeles, who also handles courses in the Creative Writing program, won first prize in the Maikling Kuwento category for Gagambang-Bahay.
Silángan deals with themes of displacement and phenomena, having been born while Toledo was in Italy partaking in his Rockefeller Foundation poetry residency. He added that the title pays homage to his hometown Siláng.
“I am hoping that negotiating with Siláng’s history, delving into its postcoloniality within the entire nation’s narrative, and involving the empire of my own memory will allow me to come to terms with my estranged sense of place and space,” Toledo told The Flame in an email interview.
Gagambang-Bahay, while set in the Middle East, was inspired by narratives within the author’s surroundings during the pandemic and the last presidential election. Angeles recalled having to research numerous aspects of the story’s setting, such as flight details, local cuisine and streets.
Asked about the message he wanted to leave the public, Angeles expressed hope that his work would help people recognize their responsibility as agents of change that the country needs.
Toledo urged aspiring writers to consume other writers’ works and seek feedback by joining workshops.
“Later on, take that leap and join literary contests, locally and internationally. And when you do… be authentic: write about and from your own distinct Filipino-ness,” the creative writing instructor said.
The authors also expressed the significance of their accomplishments to their role as Thomasian educators.
“Because of this, several people had already expressed interest in reading my story. As an educator, it creates the conversation that if I was able to win the Palanca, so can other Thomasians.” Angeles said.
For Toledo, his win is one he shares with the University and the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies.
Asst. Prof. Eros Atalia, a former faculty member of the Department of Filipino, won the third prize for Add to Cart at iba pang mga Tula in the Tula Para sa mga Bata category and first prize for Thirty Virgins in the Nobela category.
UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies Co-Director Prof. Augusto Antonio Aguila and Assistant Director Assoc. Prof. Ralph Semino Galan were among the judges, vetting submissions in the short story and novel categories, respectively.
This year’s edition drew 1,823 entries in the English, Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Ilokano languages, out of which 60 works emerged as winners across 22 categories.
The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards was established in 1950 to promote education and culture in the country. This year’s awarding took place at the Philippine International Convention Center. F
